This invention is concerned with a fastener suitable for attaching a heel to a shoe and is particularly concerned with a fastener suitable for use in attaching a plastic heel to a shoe by a method in which plastic material of the heel is melted or softened to allow the fastener to enter the heel.
In the shoe industry, heels, whether made of plastic material or of wood, are attached by driving fasteners such as nails or staples into the heels through insoles of the shoes to which the heels are attached. In the case of plastic heels, the holding power of a fastener driven into the heel may not be sufficient because the fastener on entry shatters the surrounding plastic material. This is especially the case where the length of the fastener is restricted by the shape of the heel.
We have developed an improved fastener for attaching a plastic heel to a shoe. The fastener is inserted into the plastic material of the heel by melting or softening the material to allow it to enter. In particular the fastener of the invention provides increased holding power and ease of insertion over ordinary fasteners such as nails or staples.